Community

Rebecca Carter (left) and her niece, Fionne McGuire, both of Huntington, look over some pants and jeans for back to school at the Crossroad Connections New 2U kids' clothes trade at Central Christian Church on Saturday, Aug. 1. The clothing exchange was held for the fourth year.

Colin Subler (right) navigates a couse in the zero-turn diviison of the Area X! Tractor Driviing Contest while judge Ernie Stephan watches on Saturday morning, July 31, at the Huntington County Fairgrounds.

Chauncey Armstrong (left) and Steve Ward, of the local Youth Services Bureau, presented a program on suicide prevention at the Huntington North High School Frieshman Mentoring Program orientation on Friday morning, July 31. Armstrong is the YSB parenting coordinator and Ward is the YSB Safe Place coordinator.

Heather Green, Huntington Habitat for Humanity ReStore’s new assistant manager, is a familiar face around the place, having first been a volunteer, then a part-time store clerk.

Green, a 2004 Huntington North High School graduate, has worked four years at the store, running the cash register, cleaning and pricing, among other tasks. But one of her favorite duties is greeting the customers who come to either purchase or donate items.

The Indiana Department of Transportation has announced that Ind.-116, from U.S.-224 to Pump Road in Markle, will be closed for resurfacing beginning Monday, Aug. 3.

The closure is weather dependent. The road is scheduled to reopen in mid-August. The official detour is Ind.-3 to U.S.-224.

The repaving on that section of road is part of a $3.5 million pavement replacement project on U.S.-224 from just west of CR 500E to just west of High Street, in Markle. The entire project is scheduled to be completed in late October. The work is being done by Brooks Construction Company.

Huntington County residents Ryan and Satin Lemon have been named “Big Couple of the Year” by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana.

The award was presented during the organization’s 2015 Volunteer Recognition Dinner on July 23 in Fort Wayne.

The Lemons were among five couples in the agency’s 13-county service area to be nominated for the award. A seven-member panel of judges selected the award winner on the basis of information provided by the child they are matched with, the child’s parents and agency staff members.

Bostan Krallman (left) and Mairin Ellsworth (right) work at trying to melt huge ice cubes with their squirt guns in a relay race to see which team can free the toy trapped inside each one, while other kids wait to take their turn during the SPARK program field day event held Friday, July 24 at Drover Park.

Laura Hartmus, 10, of Roanoke (right) takes the oath of office, administered by Huntington City Clerk-Treasurer Christi Scher-McElhaney Friday, July 24, in the city council chamber. Hartmus spent the morning with Mayor Brooks Fetters learning the workings of city government. She is the daughter of Ken and Julie Hartmus.

The Markle Public Library will operate under new hours beginning Sept. 1.

In an effort to meet patrons’ needs with more varied and flexible operating hours, the library will be open Monday and Friday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and closed Wednesday and Sunday.

During the community planning meetings the Huntington and Markle libraries held in January, Markle patrons expressed their wish for morning hours, as well as more hours on the weekends.

“Uncle Fester,” portrayed by Darren Turney (center), is surrounded by some ghoulish beauties in the Pulse Opera House production of “The Addams Family.” Pictured with him are (from left to right) Noelle Turney, Jordan Neal, Amanda Shull and Fiona Sackett. The show continues July 31 and Aug. 1 and 2. Friday and Saturday shows are at 8 p.m. Sunday shows are at 4 p.m. Reservations can be made online at www.pulseoperahouse.org or by leaving a message at 375-7017. The Pulse Opera House is located at 127 1/2 Wayne St. in Warren.

The festival features a free dog park day for those with canine friends, in addition to kids’ games and crafts, a dog wash, mobile adoption opportunities, vendors and concessions. A DJ will provide music for the event. The shelter will also be open for tours.

Benjamin Kratz, of Huntington, was named to the dean’s list at Olivet Nazarene University during the recently completed spring 2015 semester.

To qualify for inclusion on the dean’s list, a student must have been enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student and must have attained a semester grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 grading scale.

Prior to the start of the real thing, some 30 kids at Lincoln Elementary School are getting a feel for what kindergarten will be like during the school’s two-week Kinder Kamp.

The pilot program, funded by a grant from the United Way of Huntington County and the Indiana Association of United Ways, aims to help youngsters transition to a school environment, especially those who haven’t been in a classroom previously, according to local United Way Executive Director Jenna Strick.

The Huntington County Emergency Management Agency urges citizens to report flood damage to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to boost the state’s chances of receiving financial assistance from the federal government during the clean-up process.

Citizens can report damage to their homes by going to dhs.in.gov and clicking on the first bullet point under the words “Featured Topics” at the top of the page. The website takes all the information and reports to the state and local entities so that damage assessments can begin.

Air Force Airman Rachel D. Jones graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, TX.

The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness and basic warfare principles and skills. Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

Close enough to finish third in Bloomington Gold, a Corvette show dedicated to the most fanatical of Corvette fans.

The 1992 black Corvette convertible, entered by its Huntington owners, Tom and Suzette Tallman, lost points in just a couple of areas — the 23-year-old car didn’t have its original tires, and several of the body panels showed evidence of having been repainted.

Winners of some of the top prizes in the Huntington City-Township Public Library’s young adult summer reading program were (from left) Ashton Pinkerton, Ashley Wesco and Alex Wesco. Pinkerton won a jar of candy for having the closest guess to the actual number of pieces of candy in the jar. Ashley Wesco won a Walmart gift card and Alex Wesco won an iPod Shuffle. A total of 14 prizes were given out to participants in the young adult summer reading club.

Members of the American Legion Bustos Post 7 present a check for $5,000 toward the planned Purple Heart monument, to be placed in the new veterans’ park under construction at Memorial Park in Huntington. Celebrating the occasion (from left to right) are Juanita Bustos Hedrick, member of Post 7 and the Purple Heart Committee; Danielle Clements, member of the Purple Heart Committee; Olin Roberts, finance officer of Post 7; Gloria Holzinger, of the Purple Heart Committee; and Taryn Fusselman, of the Huntington County Veterans Service Office.

The Huntington Girl Scouts are in need of leaders to alleviate a wait that can be as long as two years for girls to join a troop.

Leaders are especially needed for troops designed for girls in kindergarten through second grade.

Leaders are not required to have a daughter in Girl Scouts.

Men also can be leaders, but there are additional rules for the situation. The main leader must be a woman, there must always be a woman at the meetings and the man must be unrelated to at least one of the women at the meetings.